surprise wildlife

[asakiyume]

I happened to glance out my window and THIS BIG GUY was ambling through my backyard. By the time I managed to get my phone, he was already in the neighbor's yard.

Comments

[sonia]

Wow! Here, that would be surprising and somewhat alarming.

[asakiyume]

These bears--black bears--are pretty common around these parts, and they're not as aggressive as Western bears like grizzly bears, but one still wants to give them their space, for sure.

[sonia]

I suppose it's like seeing a coyote strolling down the street here. We know they're around, and at the same time we don't want to get too close.

[asakiyume]

Yes, exactly

[marycatelli]

I've seen some foxes, including one walking the other way while I was walking on the road.

We gave each other a wide berth. (That it gave me the berth dispelled most of my worries, but still -- wild animal.)

[sonia]

A fox. Walking on the road. It sounds like you both handled interspecies contact with great aplomb.

[asakiyume]

Foxes are so beautiful. But yeah, it's a good idea to respect wild animals and give them their space.

[genarti]

Goodness gracious!

[asakiyume]

Black bears are around and about, but it's still surprising to see one actually on the move... through my own yard.

[genarti]

Yeah, "around and about" and "in amongst my flowerbeds" are two different things!

[asakiyume]

LOL! (This comment really did make me laugh out loud)

[sovay]

I happened to glance out my window and THIS BIG GUY was ambling through my backyard.

Damn!

[asakiyume]

Megafauna?! In *this* backyard?!

[osprey_archer]

OMG A BEAR. (Love the pink flowers in the foreground, too.)

[asakiyume]

Those are weigela--hummingbirds love it (it's in the neighbor's yard, but we get to enjoy it too).

[sartorias]

Oh, wow! That's a bear, right?

[asakiyume]

That is exactly right! He trundled through my yard and into the neighbor's. I was looking down at the top of his head from my study! (Or her head. Might be a her)

[dark_phoenix54]

Yikes!

[asakiyume]

Definitely a you-go-your-way, sir, and-I'll-just-watch-you-quietly-from-here moment.

[minoanmiss]

Hello sir! Meep!

[asakiyume]

They are so BIG!

[ellenmillion]

That is amazing!

[asakiyume]

Yeah! So long as people don't feed them, we can all get along.

[rachelmanija]

BEAR.

[asakiyume]

BEAR!

[anna_wing]

I thought at first glance that it was a large black cat sitting on a wall. Then the perspective sorted itself out, and I saw your tag. I hadn't realised that you lived somewhere where BEARS are a part of the neighbourhood....

My parents' place has musangs (palm civets), but that's about as big as the wildlife gets, leaving aside the pythons and cobras...

[asakiyume]

You know I had a very similar experience the first time I saw a bear in the neighborhood. I thought, is that a dog? A very large poodle or a Labrador retriever? My brain was trying to match up what I was seeing with possible models. Then it hit on "bear" and everything clicked into place.

Also the photo is not very good--I had to zoom, since by the time I actually had the camera out, he was already a bit distant.

Palm civets! They feature in Timor-Leste's folktales.

Have you ever had any encounters with pythons or cobras?

[anna_wing]

Myself, no. Siblings and parents, yes , and we and our neighbours have lost cats...I also once had to tiptoe past a snoozing tiger snake in one of the Melbourne botanic garden at Cranbourne.

I had an opposite experience the first time I saw a Tibetan mastiff, in Manhattan, as it happened. My brain said LION and only after that realised that it couldn't be, in context (being walked on a lead, in Midtown Manhattan).

[asakiyume]

Now my brain is wanting to turn up reasons for a lion to be walked on a lead--but also I am turning to the marvelous internet, which kindly has provided me with images of Tibetan mastiffs (impressive) and tiger snakes, and has alerted me to the fact that tiger snakes are highly venomous!

[anna_wing]

It was the first warm day of spring and the snakes were out. We'd just seen a big one captured by garden staff (well, we saw a large wriggling sack and people in serious protective gear). So when we saw a little one sunbathing by the path in the wild, bush section of the gardens, we knew to absolutely not disturb it in the slightest.

[cmcmck]

Did he have a go on the slide though? :o)

[asakiyume]

Right?! I almost expected him to. But he seemed to be on a mission, just kept on walking.

[amaebi]

Hullo, bear.

[asakiyume]

"hullo humanfolks! Just passing through, at ease."

[lilysea]

Oh, wow! ^_^

Where are you located [approximately], again? ^_^

[asakiyume]

Northeastern US, a rural(ish) part of Massachusetts.

[lilysea]

*looks up Massachusetts on google satellite view*

Wow, there is so much forest! and a few big looking lakes!

I can see why you have bears!

[asakiyume]

Yes, I'm right next to one of the lakes (well, not RIGHT next, but near)!

[mallorys_camera]

The bears come often to my neighborhood. My neighbor has recordings of quite a few of them on his home security system. Have not seen one during the daylight hours, though.

[asakiyume]

Yeah, a lot of people in the neighborhood post their security system videos.

[ivy]

Wow, that's fantastic, in a "once that happened" kind of way! A little more accommodation needed if it's a daily bear, haha.

[asakiyume]

Yeah, so far it's been only a just-passing-through behavior, and usually only at night. And this was the first time I'd noticed them go through our part of the neighborhood.

[gale_storm]

Wow! Did he or she go for a slide down the play set there? 8^)

[asakiyume]

No! What a missed opportunity!

[wayfaringwordhack]

Wow! How cool. :D. As long as no one or nothing got hurt, of course.

[asakiyume]

Exactly! So long as no one feeds the bears--which is what leads to them being aggressive and hanging around--they should just pass on through from time to time and not be a problem.